Critic Reviews
George A. Romero's Land of the Dead (2005) Rank 3 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (253) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
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Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)
The first thing you see after the opening credits is a dingy, rusted restaurant sign advertising – what else? – "Eats." The shot, artfully accomplished via a slowly swooping crane, is a note-perfect moment: part wry graveyard chuckle to be sure, but ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)
filmcritic.com (Keith Breese)
George Romero inhabits a peculiar realm in American cinema. He is both a political provocateur, championing the cause of the common man, and the king of zombie gore, the lowbrow art of human disembowelment, decapitation, and so on.
Land of the Dead is ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at filmcritic.com (Keith Breese)
MovieWeb (Gareth Von Kallenbach)
Twenty years after his last installment of the classic "Dead" Zombie genre, Landmark Horror Writer/Director George Romero has returned to the delight of fans worldwide. After years of various horror projects, and remakes of his previous "Dead" films, ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at MovieWeb (Gareth Von Kallenbach)
The Horror Channel ("Johnny Butane")
Time Out
Respect for the dead isn’t a concept that gets much of an airing in horror movies. Victims of violence are swiftly forgotten, while undead monsters hardly inspire sympathy – unless you’re a Romero ‘walker’, that is, in which case you may well ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Time Out
DVDActive (Benjamin Willcock)
George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead is an above average horror flick wanting to be so much more – or does it? Is this the intended film Romero set out to create when he first put pen to paper, or did it not go entirely according to plan? ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at DVDActive (Benjamin Willcock)
The King's Room (Paul Perkins)
Zombie movies are a dime a dozen there has been a lot of
them that came out over the year, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead,
Day of the Dead and many others.
The man who started all the Zombie craziness is George A
Romero who in 1968 ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at The King's Room (Paul Perkins)
Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Kushmeer Farakhan)
Initially, I had no interest in reviewing Land of the Dead, George A. Romero’s latest zombie epic, let alone reviewing it but something changed my mind. My illustrious fellow reviewer, Chris Gonzalez. Chris is an awesome reviewer and I’ve been a fan of ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Movieman's Guide to the Movies (Kushmeer Farakhan)
DVD Clinic (J. Andrew Hosack)
The living dead have spread over the world, leaving only a few surviving humans left. Prepare for a head trip, as these humans have taken up residence at the luxurious Fiddler’s Green, where people shop, eat out, and have a jolly good ‘ol time; while ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at DVD Clinic (J. Andrew Hosack)
Future Movies (Paul Greenwood)
George Romero owns the zombie movie. It's as simple as that. He didn't invent it - they've been getting made since the '30s - but, with Night of the Living Dead in 1968, he sure as hell re-invented it, taking violence and gore to unprecedented levels, ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Future Movies (Paul Greenwood)
Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)
Journal News (Westchester, NY) (Jack Garner)
With Land of the Dead , Romero has created his personal masterpiece, an incredibly gruesome film, but with thought-provoking concepts and surprising resonance. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Journal News (Westchester, NY) (Jack Garner)
JackassCritics.com (Grim Ringler)
IGN Movies (Todd Gilchrist)
A perfectly worthy entry to close, or perhaps resuscitate, cinema's greatest zombie series. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at IGN Movies (Todd Gilchrist)
eFilmCritic.com (William Goss)
Romero fulfills the very formula he created and brings the series to a much more satisfying point than where it had been left. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at eFilmCritic.com (William Goss)
Empire Magazine (--)
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
Does the horror maestro, now in his mid-60s, still have what it takes? Oh yes, he does. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
ShowBIZ Data (--)
New York Times (Manohla Dargis)
An excellent freakout of a movie. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at New York Times (Manohla Dargis)
Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
It's really nice to see him with a budget... Romero's gone and made the zombie version of Metropolis . ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Mr. Cranky Rates the Movies (Mr. Cranky)
eFilmCritic.com (Scott Weinberg)
Land of the Dead works, and at times it works amazingly well -- but it's no classic, and I seriously doubt it will ever be considered as such. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Scott Weinberg)
Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) (Randy Shulman)
It's extremely clear, from start to finish, that the master is back -- and he's going to show all the Romero-wannabes how to craft a truly great zombie movie. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) (Randy Shulman)
Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
Chow down, folks – the master has returned. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
Fulvue Drive-in
Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)
Village Voice (Michael Atkinson)
Monsters At Play (Lawrence P. Raffel)
Sacramento News & Review (Bob Grimm)
The Boston Phoenix
San Francisco Chronicle (Peter Hartlaub)
Land of the Dead is worth the wait, and dispels any fanboy concerns that the director was gone because he lost his mojo. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Peter Hartlaub)
The Sydney Morning Herald
Nolan's Pop Culture Review (Michael A. Smith)
'...a film that is both a great time in the present and a fine tribute to the past.' ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Nolan's Pop Culture Review (Michael A. Smith)
Now Playing Magazine (Brent Simon)
Romero’s script isn’t a thing of grace and beauty, but it achieves a sort of brawny entertainment that works in the moment. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Now Playing Magazine (Brent Simon)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
In the perpetual night of writer-director George A. Romero's cinematically arresting "Land of the Dead," the living and the undead group by social order.
Kaufman (Dennis Hopper) represents the haves. He occupies the top floor of Fiddler's ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
Land of the Dead is the long-awaited fourth film in George A. Romero's Dead series. George Romero's original trilogy - Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1979) and Day of the Dead (1985) - are all genre classics. Night of the ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
New York Post (Kyle Smith)
Romero has given us, as well as the zombies, a lot to chew on. There is as much allegory to his tale as there is blood, and let me tell you, there's no shortage of blood. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at New York Post (Kyle Smith)
Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
Once again, George Romero has made a zombie movie for the times we live in. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Those unbitten by the curse of the undead won't have quite as much to chew on, but the film is clever and entertaining enough to keep most anyone amused. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Land of the Dead is the fourth installment in a series of zombie films that started with 1968's landmark Night of the Living Dead, which encapsulated so perfectly the country's Vietnam-era fear that we were eating ourselves alive. Each film in the ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Globe and Mail (Brad Wheeler)
Land of the Dead is a horror flick, but not a screamy one -- the booming soundtrack pumps up the drama, and the gore induces squirms, but zombies more titillate than anything. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Globe and Mail (Brad Wheeler)
filmfacts (Andreas Edler)
Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)
Romero obliges those who are less concerned with meaning than with hard-core gore. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)
Arrow in the Head ("The Arrow")
Newsday (Gene Seymour)
Land of the Dead may not be the 'masterpiece' its promoters claim, but it is the work of a master. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Newsday (Gene Seymour)
Seattle Times (Mark Rahner)
Land does feel less substantial than its predecessors at a scant 92 minutes ... But its novelty and nerve are the work of the master showing those feeding on his body of work how this zombie thing is done. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Seattle Times (Mark Rahner)
Palo Alto Weekly (Tyler Hanley)
Despite being too bloody for its own good, Land is a different breed of walking-dead movie -- one with soul. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Tyler Hanley)
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
All of Romero's experimentation comes to fruition in Land , which proves he has not exhausted zombies. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
...manages enough of the pathos that has made Romero's zombie movies the paragon of the genre. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Land of the Dead is rich with political metaphors and social satire, none of which ever throws us out of the story or slows the breakneck pace. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
This well crafted horor actioner brings up to date the zombie genre that Romero had launched in 1968, with self-conscious humor and more explicit class politics ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
MTV (Kurt Loder)
[P]retty swell … George Romero is back and, in this movie, he's better than ever. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at MTV (Kurt Loder)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Jackie Loohauis)
Romero was savvy enough to turn a $100,000 indie quickie into a classic and he shows he can still make a corpse stagger with his new film, George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead . ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Jackie Loohauis)
Zap2it.com (Dan Fienberg)
A lean, mean 93-minute serving of brain-lust, stylized gore, morbid humor and chatty social commentary. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Zap2it.com (Dan Fienberg)
Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Romero has made a movie that will completely satisfy the Fangoria magazine crowd but, like his previous efforts, also manages to make acute observations about modern society. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
A treat for people who like their horror movies brooding, bloody and laced with dark humor. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
USA Today (Mike Clark)
It's fairly solid fun without breaking any new ground. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at USA Today (Mike Clark)
Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
Land of the Dead not only leaves you wishing Romero and his zombies might come back to feast once more, but that they'd take their time. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
It's good, gory fun, even if its satiric jabs at societal mores come across as more heavy-handed than in the past. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Pogo's mournful eureka -- 'We have met the enemy and he is us' --never resonates more clearly than in Romero's work. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Moviola (Jorge Avila Andrade)
Su verdadero valor subyace en lo que un genio del cine como Romero tiene que decir respecto de hacia donde nos dirigimos como humanidad. Hoy todos somos zombies. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Moviola (Jorge Avila Andrade)
Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
Romero finds creative ways to stage zombies feasting on flesh while tackling...gated communities, war profiteering, and entertainment as a weapon of mass distraction. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
The film also features a cameo appearance by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, the writer and director of "Shaun of the Dead," respectively. They appear in the film as a tribute to Romero, whose films inspired theirs. There is a feature on the DVD of "Land ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
If my description of the plot seems lengthy, that is by design. It feels lengthy in the movie, too -- busy, multi-faceted and almost unnecessary. The time spent setting up the Riley vs. Cholo vs. Kaufman triangle might have been better spent showing ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Reel.com
One of the most bizarre bonus features I've ever encountered on any DVD is a computer-animated sequence of poorly animated zombies who, of all things, are dancing. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Reel.com
Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
Eugene A. Clark in George A. Romero's Land of the DeadZombies are on the rise. In 2004, director Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake brought flesh-eaters back to the limelight and British import Shaun of the Dead offered a hilarious and unique ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
Big Picture Big Sound (Joe Lozito)
There was a lot of talk in 2002 that Danny Boyle was going to "reinvent zombie horror" with the release of "28 Days Later". While the talented Mr. Boyle had indeed endeavored to create a worthy update of the genre, "Later" degenerated into a generic ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Big Picture Big Sound (Joe Lozito)
Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
I suppose we critics call what Romero has done with this film "returning to form." He's certainly returned to being busy: after a seven-year gap between the disappointing The Dark Half and the unseen-by-me Bruiser, he's got three ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Romero’s long-awaited zombie horror flick delivers lashings of gore, violent action sequences and big dollops of heavy-handed satire in equal measure.The BackgroundWith zombie movies such as 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead and the Dawn of the Dead ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Philadelphia Inquirer
The zombie king is back. After a 20-year hiatus, George A. Romero, who practically invented his own creepy cinematic genre with 1968's Dawn of the Living Dead and its sequels, returns with his most ingenious and ambitious zombie film yet. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer
Latino Review
Lawrence.com (Eric Melin)
The themes of oppression and greed are tied even more relevantly in 'Land of the Dead' than any of its predecessors. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Lawrence.com (Eric Melin)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
In a world where the dead are returning to life, the word "trouble" has lost its meaning. --Dennis Hopper in "Land of the Dead"Now this is interesting. In the future world of "George A. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The Movie Insider (John Sylva)
When the lights come up after the quietly potent final shot, you'll swear for a second you've just watched a film about America's growing tendency towards both isolationism and totalitarianism, a trend which suggests a far cry from the melting plot, ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at The Movie Insider (John Sylva)
dvdfuture.com (R. L. Shaffer)
Juicy Cerebellum (Alex Sandell)
filmdeculte.com (Anthony Sitruk)
ZombieKeeper.com
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Comingsoon.net
RevolutionSF (Andrew Kozma)
Classic Horror
The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
Frank's Reel Reviews
Motion Picture Purgatory (Rick Trembles)
Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)
Entertainment Insiders (Eric Lurio)
New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
DVD Town (Justin Cleveland)
The Trades (Jim Pappas)
The Trades (Jim Pappas)
Movies 101 (Robert Glatzer)
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Freeze Dried Movies (Brian Juergens)
A refreshing and assured meditation on tolerance that does a darn good job of masquerading as a zombie shoot-em-up. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Freeze Dried Movies (Brian Juergens)
The Spinning Image (Daniel Auty)
DVD MovieGuide
The Onion A.V. Club
allesfilm.com (Julia Puehringer)
The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
RaEL Film Guide
I think it's safe to say George A. Romero's "Land of the Dead" doesn't live up to the previous three zombie films that made him famous--it doesn't have the nightmarish black-and-white verite of the now-classic "Night of the Living Dead;" it recycles to ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at RaEL Film Guide
Mutant Reviewers From Hell
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Bob Longino)
Land of the Dead doesn't lack for creeps. It's just likely not the kind of complete frightfest that will have you wanting to go back for seconds. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Bob Longino)
MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)
Chart Magazine
Sci-Fi Weekly
DVD Verdict (Bill Gibron)
Cinemaphile.org (David Keyes)
Ain't It Cool Movie Reviews (Harry Knowles)
PopMatters (Cynthia Fuchs)
Monsters At Play (Carl Lyon)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
CinemaZone.dk
hybridmagazine.com
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Film Freak Central
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
Movie-Vault.com (Mel Valentin)
Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)
Pajiba (Phillip Stephens)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
"More than just another zombie movie, a better zombie movie." ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
MovieMaze (Thomas Straßer)
Reel.com
It's all very fitting for the times, but it's just not enough. There are some terrific aspects to Romero's fourth vision of the undead—a knockout sequence where the walkers rise, Apocalypse Now -style, out of the river; a nice performances by the ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Reel.com
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
George A. Romero may have been the originator of the modern zombie movie, but, at least with Land of the Dead, he hasn't done much to refine it. The zombies are creepier looking than in the past, and the gore is more hard-core, but the story still boils d ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)
Comingsoon.net
"Packed with more heart-pounding and blood-curdling thrills than any theater could show, this special Unrated Director's Cut unleashes the ultimate vision of George A. Romero's latest living-dead shock-fest! Starring Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper and John ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Comingsoon.net
CineMe (Daniel Meyer)
Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)
For violence, gore and fast-paced action Land of the Dead delivers. As social commentary it is far less successful. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)
Cinema Blend
Anyone who has a fetish for blood and knows their horror films has heard of George A. Romero. Appropriately known for his zombie flicks, the writer/director has been working for over forty years and finally landed a film with his name in the title. ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Cinema Blend
Hollywood.com
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
In the final analysis, Land of the Dead comes across as generic. Despite being steeped in darkness, it lacks the taut pacing and nerve-jangling suspense of 28 Days Later, and doesn't have the tongue-in-cheek approach evident ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)
What to do with a zombie? Do we really have to wonder anymore? Is there anything we haven't seen yet? Well, I guess it doesn't matter. When the zombie genre maker George A. Romero wants to make a zombie movie who is Universal to say no? Unfortunately, ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at RopeofSilicon (Brad Brevet)
Bullz-Eye.com
First up are two making-of featurettes (one hosted by John Leguizamo), and a series of very uninteresting deleted scenes, but these are hardly worth your time. The most interesting material can be found in the effect featurettes "Bringing the ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Bullz-Eye.com
The Movie Chicks
The human population has begun to adjust to living with zombies. Some people are even thriving - Mr. Kaufman (Dennis Hopper) has set up a paradise portion of the city behind fortified walls where all the rich can continue to live a life of luxury ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at The Movie Chicks
d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)
All that survives in George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead—his first film in the famous series in 20 years—is the ingrained social critique that is part and parcel with zombie horror. The land of the title, what the world has turned into since the ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at d+kaz. Intelligent Movie Reviews (Daniel Kasman)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
SPOILERS AHEAD!George A. Romero is averaging about a zombie movie a decade. Night of the Living Dead bowed in 1968, followed by Dawn of the Dead in 1978, Day of the Dead in 1985, and now Land of the Dead. 20 years is a long time to wait for the ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
CineMe (Daniel Meyer)
<Faust668@aol.com>
There are human mercenaries who work for Kaufman (Dennis Hopper), an egotistical, wealthy man who hires them to keep zombies out (including the lower class starving denizens of the sparsely populated city). Kaufman and the rich live in a tower ...read the complete George A. Romero's Land of the Dead movie review at <Faust668@aol.com>
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